I put the artists on Sixsmiths volume 2 to the question. This is what Bobby N. said, while bench-pressing an M1 Abrams tank:
Why did you agree to participate in this project? You’re a busy man and Franks is a pencil-necked geek. You could snap his spine like a twig. Does he have incriminating photographs or something?
Jason Franks is one of the few comics creators in the scene that I respect, so it was a no-brainer (as long as the story was short enough that I could deliver). I always think of artists (particularly those with the same obsessive and serious attitude) as a kind of fraternity that I’d, metaphorically, always give time for. My feeling has always been; that the more you give to your passion, even if it’s not your own project, the more the boomerang comes back.
For most chapters in this book, Franks wrote the scripts before he decided which of the available artists would be a good fit for the material. But not your chapter. I knew from the outset that I wanted you to draw Daily Bread. Did you think the material spoke to you in any way? Or did you just think Franks was being a bit of a dickhead by asking you to draw a chapter about working for the Man?
Ha. No, I remember Jason mentioning he wanted me to draw something “Up my alley” that he’d written with me in mind… He knows I rarely draw others’ scripts (just because time is usually limited, so I’d rather be doing my own stuff). He knows me well, because the story was a real pleasure to illustrate. The themes and mood are something that was a great fit for me. The stories I’m most passionate about creating (for myself) are about ‘everyday life’, so Jason knew which buttons to press. Basically for me, the imbalances in life regarding human interaction (whether it’s boss/employee, male/female, group/individual, etc) are extremely potent to me… actually, to me, it’s the only real fight out there.
What was the best part about working on the Sixsmiths?
Envisioning the facial/physical reactions of the main protagonist in relation to the story… oh, and drawing the chick’s arse 😉
What was the worst part about working with Jason Franks?
The uncomfortable race ‘not’ to be the last person to submit my story… I’ve seen the frustration of ‘herding cats’ (read: other creatives) into an anthology. Hence my anal-retentive nature to own the process of being a publisher from end-end… Personally, I don’t know how (or why) Jason does it. I keep expecting to see him on the news one day holding off Police from a clock tower with a high-powered rifle.
Thanks for reading, folks! And remember, you can currently order Sixsmiths volumne 2 from your local comic store by forwarding them the following link, or by citing Diamond code FEB171451. Orders due Feb 18th. In stores April 26th!